Nurse Practitioners and Primary Care

By

WSJ Staff

Jun 4, 2013 3:39 pm ET

One of the big problems in the U.S. health-care system is the shortage of primary-care physicians, especially in rural areas. And the shortages may worsen as more patients seek care under the Affordable Care Act.

One candidate to help fill that shortage: nurse practitioners.

Nurse practitioners are trained to perform clinical care, including ordering lab work and X-rays, and are especially useful in assisting patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. About a third of states allow nurse practitioners to practice without the supervision of a physician, freeing up doctors to do more.

Have you received medical care from nurse practitioners, and do you/would you have confidence in them? Vote and enter your comments, which may be excerpted in a coming Wall Street Journal special report.